The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the agency of the Lagos State Government responsible for solid waste management, is partnering with the GROW project to strengthen skills and promote more sustainable approaches to construction waste management in Nigeria.
LAWMA has long experience in waste management and has observed the growing volume of construction waste generated across Nigeria over the years. Participation in GROW is therefore especially encouraging. It offers real opportunities for young people and promises solutions to pressing environmental challenges, giving cause for hope in building a better Nigeria. Through vocational training and hands-on exposure, the GROW project will build the capacity of stakeholders in the construction waste sector, improving efficiency and resource optimisation across the construction value chain.
GROW also aligns with LAWMA’s role as a regulatory institution of government, and the Authority is pleased to be part of a team equipping people with the skills that promote environmental sustainability.
The following professionals that will contribute their expertise to the GROW project from LAWMA are
- Elizabeth Ademola is a sustainability and circular economy expert with over 15 years of experience. She has served as Climate Change and Diplomacy Liaison Officer and as Head of the Waste Management Development Department (WMD), and has contributed to national and international development projects with the World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, UNIDO, the European Union and UN-Habitat in the fields of waste and environmental management.
- Jirinsola Olaleye is the Head of the Circular Economy Department at LAWMA, with over 18 years of experience in the environmental and waste management sector. Much of her career has been dedicated to policy formulation, regulation and the monitoring of recycling operations in Lagos State.
- Oluwakemi Kunle-Oyewo is the Operations Support Manager (OSM), responsible for coordinating waste collection and transportation activities across the six operational districts of Lagos State. She brings over 20 years of experience in corporate intelligence and strategy, planning, research and statistics, commercial operations, private sector participant (PSP) management, market waste, construction and demolition waste management, administration and human resources, procurement, and general waste management operations.
- Alabi Adedayo Sunday is a certified Town Planner and GIS expert with over 15 years of experience in the environmental and waste management sector.
- Jerry Bamigbayan is the Chief Executive Officer of Divulge Gait, an environmentalist and business strategist. He has partnered with LAWMA as a consultant to the LAWMA Academy.
To ensure the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups, GROW focuses on empowering unemployed youth and women, whose representation in the sector remains low. The project will equip them with the skills needed to explore prospects and opportunities in construction waste management.
To strengthen collaboration between technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions and industry, GROW partners are working with TVET institutions in northern and southern Nigeria. Together, they will deliver training of trainers (ToT) and the curriculum, with training based on needs assessments that identified skills gaps in construction waste management. This will upskill the workforce, improving productivity and the effectiveness of service delivery. Trainees will also be placed in industry for internships, enabling them to apply what they have learnt in TVET institutions and to solve real-life problems using both classroom and practical knowledge.
Resource conservation and recycling are pivotal to the project, and both are sustainable practices within the green environment. Capacity building and training that promote resource efficiency, reuse and recycling will improve service delivery and the employability of the workforce in the green economy, ultimately supporting green job creation and upskilling in both countries.
By the end of the project, the GROW project expects to achieve the following outcomes:
- An improved workforce in the construction industry
- A developed curriculum
- Certification of construction waste vocational training by the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB)
- Empowered TVET institutions able to deliver construction waste management courses
- Strengthened bilateral relationships between partners, ensuring the sustainability and scaling-up of results
What Sets GROW apart according to LAWMA is;
GROW differs from previous training and waste management initiatives in its focus on construction waste management, a largely untapped area. Building capacity in this sector will improve environmental practices, reduce material wastage and promote the circularity of construction waste. The inclusion of digital tools will further enhance work efficiency, accuracy of delivery and data acquisition, supporting informed decision-making and better management across the value chain.